Chapter 284 - 64: Hang City Love Story

Huh?

He suddenly remembered that over in Tianjin, there was the Tianjin Eye, the largest Ferris wheel in Asia to be built over a river. There was also the Dubai Eye, the largest Ferris wheel in the world.

It seemed...

It was as if there was a global consensus: Ferris wheels were always tied to the element of the "eye."

"Jiang Ran, look!"

The cabin was still rising slowly. Cheng Mengxue pointed out the window, motioning for Jiang Ran to come closer.

"Look over there. Is that West Lake?"

"I think so." Jiang Ran estimated that the general direction was correct.

"It’s so beautiful..."

Cheng Mengxue gazed at the vast nightscape and smiled for no apparent reason.

"If I’d known it was this beautiful, I would have come when I was a kid."

[Fate has a strange humor, leaving those in love silent.]

[I’d trade the entire universe for a single red bean.]

A sorrowful song, a sorrowful silence.

Time could not be reversed.

Everyone reminisces about their childhood, even if those times weren’t entirely happy.

’But... why is that?’

Finally, their cabin reached the very top of the wheel, granting them an unobstructed, panoramic view of all of Hang City.

And the song, full of regret, once again reached its chorus.

[The long shot pulls back, further and further, several years have passed.]

[At the concert we reminisce about, we share a polite farewell kiss—]

Jiang Ran pressed his palm against the glass window, feeling as if the gentle night breeze had blown through time and space, seeping into his heart through his fingertips.

"Jiang Ran," Cheng Mengxue called softly.

"Hm?" He turned his head slightly.

The next second, a touch of warmth pressed against his left cheek.

It was Cheng Mengxue’s lips.

She kissed the spot that had been swollen from her slap the other day. The force was worlds apart, yet it felt just as fiery hot.

Jiang Ran’s eyes widened, and he froze as if petrified.

He couldn’t believe it. ’Is this really something Cheng Mengxue would do?!’

She hadn’t been drinking, nor were her eyes hazy and mesmerized under a sky of fireworks.

But this touch, as light as a dragonfly skimming water, made Jiang Ran hold his breath.

Soon, Cheng Mengxue straightened up, her lips leaving his cheek. Only then did Jiang Ran turn his head, unsure of what expression to wear as he looked at her.

"This... is a girl’s kiss."

Her voice was quiet, as quiet as a falling leaf; her voice was soft, as soft as a cicada’s wing.

"Not the kiss of a childhood friend."

The girl met Jiang Ran’s eyes and repeated herself:

"This... is a girl’s kiss."

...

...

DING—

The elevator doors opened. Jiang Ran and Cheng Mengxue arrived at their hotel floor and stepped out one after the other.

Cheng Mengxue’s room was right by the elevator.

She walked up, swiped her key card, and pushed the door open.

Then, she turned back.

"Thank you, Jiang Ran."

She gave a faint smile.

"I had a lot of fun today. It was like a dream."

Jiang Ran smiled back.

"We only went to an amusement park. I wouldn’t say it was like a dream."

"Good night." Cheng Mengxue’s lips barely moved. She pushed the door open, pulled her small suitcase inside, and walked in.

THUD.

The door swung shut on its own, leaving Jiang Ran standing outside.

He glanced at his watch.

10:07 PM

There were still eight hours until sunrise.

In eight hours, the sun would set on this Chapter of their story.

"Good night," he said softly, looking at the closed door.

...

On the other side of the door, Cheng Mengxue’s back was pressed against the wood. She slid down slowly until she was sitting on the floor.

She lowered her head, her bangs obscuring her eyes, and sat perfectly still.

"Cheng Mengxue."

After a long moment, she bit her lip and spoke:

"The things you once wanted to do, I’ve done them all for you."

"The two of us... let’s end it here."

She pushed herself up from her knees, stood, and opened her small suitcase.

She took out three photographs and a lighter, then went into the bathroom.

The first photo was a group picture of the four Film Club members at Dazhi River Park.

She flicked the lighter, letting the flame crawl across the photo. Once it was burning, she tossed it into the ceramic sink.

The second photo was one of her and Jiang Ran by the riverbank.

Again, she flicked the lighter, ignited the photo in her hand, and threw it into the sink.

The two balls of flame intertwined, dancing wildly before burning each other to ash.

She picked up the last photo and held it before her eyes.

It was... a photo of a sister and her little brother, taken on a lawn.

A little girl in a short down jacket, no more than five or six years old, was running forward. Her right hand, clad in a pink glove, was holding onto a little boy behind her who looked to be less than three. His cheeks were flushed red from the cold.

Both of their faces were beaming with happy, blissful smiles.

GUSH—

The girl turned on the faucet, and a stream of water washed the black ashes down the drain, leaving no trace behind.

She lifted her head and looked at the mirror above the sink.

Reflected back was a pair of incredibly sharp eyes, a face of unshakable resolve.

There were no distracting thoughts.

No hesitation.

No trace of tenderness.

"I am Li Yini."

The girl in front of the mirror and her reflection spoke at the same time:

"Li Yini."

The two of them looked at each other, inches apart, as if they had merged into one:

"Little brother, your sister is here... to get you!"